About me

comdu.it is a global network of diaspora volunteers that focuses on mobilizing diaspora knowledge capital, responsible investments, and community networks for the sustainable development of the North and East of Sri Lanka. Our mission is to help shift the next generational phase of diaspora engagement from charity to sustainability, from aid to economic development, and from sending remittance to building a knowledge economy instead.

Since 2016, comdu.it has worked with local partners on the ground to place nearly 25 (young) professionals from the global Tamil diaspora – educators, social workers, lawyers, creative artists, business and technology professionals, and urban planners to name a few – in several areas including Karainagar, Kilinochchi, Kudathanai, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Periyanilavanai, Uda Pussellawa, Uppuveli, Uranee, Vavuniya, and Colombo. These placements cover five thematic areas: Capacity Building; Economic Empowerment; Human Rights; Leadership Development; and Psychosocial Support. Increasingly, we are pivoting towards virtual programs, social impact investing, development innovation projects, and selected humanitarian relief efforts.

Our work is acknowledged by the Canadian High Commission and the German Embassy in Sri Lanka as well as by Global Affairs Canada. We have also been featured in several Canadian media including the CBC, NOW Magazine, Toronto Star, and TVO The Agenda. Our work is made possible by the generosity of individual donors, corporate sponsors, the Government of Canada, and the Open Society Foundations.

We are registered as a not-for-profit organisation in Ontario, Canada – where we are a Charter Member of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation – and as a charitable organisation in Hamburg, Germany.